This invention deals with mucolytic agents and a process of the bio-affecting body treatment type. More particularly, the invention relates to a process for liquefying mucus adaptable for use in the treatment of mammals or for laboratory use.
A. L. Sheffner, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., 106, 298-310 (1963), discloses that a variety of sulfhydryl containing compounds have mucolytic activity and, in an attempt to correlate mucolytic activity and chemical structure, stated that compounds having a free sulfhydryl group were generally effective in reducing mucus viscosity. None of the compounds disclosed by Sheffner were of the mercaptoacylamidobenzoic or sulfonic acid type. The subject matter of A. L. Sheffner U.S. Pat. No. 3,091,569 relates to N-acylated sulfhydryl compounds such as N-acetyl-L-cysteine which is commercially available under the trademark Mucomyst.RTM. as a topically effective mucolytic agent. U. Weiss, U.S. Pat. No. 2,520,293 concerns mercaptoacetanilide derivatives and discloses antioxidant utility therefor. U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,697 issued to Martin and Comer, the inventors of the instant invention, disclose a group of 1,4-bis-acylpiperazines having mucolytic properties.
It has now been found surprisingly that mercaptoacylamidobenzoic acids disclosed in Weiss, U.S. Pat. No. 2,520,293 and N-(2-mercaptoacetyl)sulfonic acids are topically effective mucolytic agents substantially more potent than N-acetyl-L-cysteine.